


All I Want for Christmas is...

by AlexRT



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Anal Sex, Cake, Champagne, Christmas, Christmas Lights, Fluff, Gift Giving, Illumination, Interrupted, Letters, Light Bondage, M/M, Oral Sex, Peppermint, Photography, Presents, Sex, Shopping, Smut, Strawberries, Whipped Cream, Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 18:33:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17105942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexRT/pseuds/AlexRT
Summary: Asami and Aki find time in their busy schedules to get into the holiday spirit and celebrate together.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, what do you normally do for Christmas?” Aki asked as he scarfed down the breakfast he had made, needing to leave for an early assignment soon. Asami just barely looked up from his paper, taking a sip of coffee before responding “Nothing, as it’s only for children and couples”. He went back to reading the paper, Aki pondering the response while finishing the last of the food. He got up and put the dishes in the sink at which point Asami spoke again “Is there something that you normally do for Christmas?”.

“N-nothing much, just cake with friends or whatever.” He threw on a coat and grabbed his camera bag, then headed for the door. “see ya, don’t wait up” Aki spoke, sliding on his shoes and running out the door before Asami could say anything further. 

Asami shook his head and finished off the coffee, chuckling to himself. “Don’t you worry Akihito, I may not have done anything for past Christmas’s but that doesn’t mean I don’t have plans for This Christmas”. He folded the paper and placed the cup in the sink. He then put on his suit jacket and outer coat and made his way to the waiting car downstairs.

“Takaba your late!” his boss growled as Aki ran in and stood before his desk “Mitarai just left for his car so you better see if you can still catch-up!” His boss continued to yell.

“Yes, sir” Aki replied as he turned heel and ran to the parking lot where he found Mitarai backing out. He knocked on the window and then yanked the door open (as Mitarai never locked it), jumping in. “Decided to actually come to work Takaba?” Mitarai nonchalantly asked with a hint of sarcasm. Aki ignored him “so what’s the scoop for today?”

“I should just let you figure it out yourself since you seem to miss most of the meetings. 70/30” Mitarai spoke. 

“The meetings take far too long and I do not miss “most of them”… only some of them. 40/60” Aki replied.

“Deal, but the price goes up next time.” Mitarai replied. “A tipster’s told us that teen idol Kira-Kira-chan has a secret boyfriend. They believe that she’ll be shopping for said boyfriend today so we’re supposed to covertly follow her and capture what she looks at and if she buys anything.” “Here’s a pic” Mitarai pulled a picture from the dashboard and threw it at Aki. True to her name, she was covered in sparkles and glitter. He looked past the make-up and costumery and took in the details of her face, confident in his ability to remember and then recognize people in a crowd. That’s probably the only reason Mitarai agreed to partner up for this assignment.

“So my plan is for us to split up and wander around the stores in this area that she’s likely to shop at and then report back to each other when we find her.” “So as to hopefully not draw suspicion just pretend like you’re shopping for your girlfriend or something and go covert with your camera choice. If this goes well the next story will probably be catching her with him” Mitarai finished, pulling the car into an underground parking garage near the shopping district. Aki pulled one of his smaller cameras from the bag and then converted the bag to a more normal looking sling-shoulder backpack.

“I’ll start at the far end” Aki spoke and then darted from the vehicle, jogging up the stairs and then blending into the crowd of shoppers. He made his way to the end of the district and then slowed his pace, taking in the shops and trying to decide which ones she may think of going in. “What do girls normally buy for their boyfriends?” he thought to himself. “Candy? Clothing? From the picture she seemed to like cutesy stuff, but then again that might just be a persona” he continually scanned the crowd and then made his way into any shop that seemed to match one or all of those criteria. He figured chances were high that she’d be trying to conceal her face in one way or another and so honed in on people that were wearing masks, bulky scarves, or tinted glasses.

He should have asked Mitarai what her popularity was like because that would help him guess at what her price range might be. “Would this store be too expensive for her?” “Would she look here anyways?” he thought to himself. He certainly felt out of place in some of the higher end ones as he strolled through the men’s section looking at things that he could never afford.

After six or seven stores he found his mind drifting a bit. “Should he get Asami a Christmas present?” “What could he possibly buy that Asami would actually want though?” “Asami’s style was certainly out of his price range, not to mention he seemed pretty particular about most things.” “He’d probably be too busy to realize it was Christmas anyways.” He pushed the thoughts from his mind and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. 

He was almost to the middle and would probably cross paths with Mitarai soon. He looked at his phone and confirmed that there were no missed messages from him saying that he’d found her. Once in the store, as he was wandering past the winter accessories section, he noticed a girl in a knit hat and scarf that were obscuring her face and whose height matched what he expected. He couldn’t tell for sure from his vantage point but he snapped a quick pic and sent a message to Mitarai with the location and a general description.

He feigned interest in a pair of gloves on the end cap and then made his way further into the section to see if he could confirm that it was her. The girl was indeed looking at men’s winter accessories. He casually glanced down the aisle she was in as he passed by to the other side. He was now 99% certain it was the person they were looking for. From the glass wall to his side he saw Mitarai coming up the escalator. Aki made his way back to the main aisle and then walked to meet up with Mitarai.

“Hey man, I think I found what you were looking for” Aki spoke and then led Mitarai past the aisle the girl was in and then to one that was across and adjacent from it. He pointed randomly at something “Are these what you were looking for?” he asked. Mitarai finally understood what Aki was doing and played along. “Yes, but I’d like to look around some more too” Mitarai replied. The two exchanged a knowing look and switched into tailing surveillance mode. They parted ways and each worked to gain a different vantage point while still looking like regular shoppers.

She soon moved on from the section, empty handed, and made her way elsewhere. They each followed in turn a moment later. This carried on as she looked at gloves and hats, handkerchiefs, cologne, and boxed chocolates. Store after store she looked and pondered at the items, picking them up, turning them over and each time putting them back. This provided many opportunities for the two of them to photograph her with what were distinctly items intended for a guy (though the thought did cross Aki’s mind that she may be shopping for a brother or her father).

As the day wore on the two of them realized that they still didn’t have any shots where her face was 100% clear. The ones they had were probably good enough to run the story but a clear shot would really sell it. As such they each decided to become more brazen. Now in yet another store’s winter accessories section, Mitarai positioned himself in an aisle with a clear view of her. He pretended to look at something and then unhooked the rung of the wrack, letting it fall to the floor with a clang. Startled she looked up and over at him. He rapidly snapped the photos while looking down to pick up the things. She turned back to what she was doing, unaware that she’d just been photographed.

Aki wanted his chance at a money shot too, preferably one where she didn’t look startled, but couldn’t decide how to go about it. Then he had an idea. He set an alarm on his phone and then walked up to Mitarai. “Hey, hold this for me” Aki handed the phone to him and walked off to get into position, counting in his head. “58, 59, 60” “Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight!” music loudly rang out “never running from a real fight!” Mitarai fumbled with the phone trying to figure out how to shut it off or silence it. The girl turned to look at Mitarai and then giggled slightly, all of which Aki captured from where he stood. “She is the one named Sailor Mo-“ Mitarai finally figured out how to turn it off and turned away embarrassed and fuming.

Aki smirked and tried to conceal himself so he wouldn’t bare Mitarai’s wrath right that moment. He then felt someone tap his shoulder and so turned around, startled.

“Um, excuse me, can I ask you a favor?” It was the girl, who had now come into the aisle he was in.

“Uh, sure” he replied, slightly confused

“Can I see your hands, err…I mean, can you try these on because you see I think your hands are the same size as ….” Her voice trailed off and embarrassed she looked away while holding out a pair of gloves.

“Okay” he replied, taking the gloves, relieved that she wasn’t accusing him of photographing her. He put them on and showed her and then took them off and handed them back.

“Thank you” she bowed and then quickly walked away. Aki watched as she took them to the cashier, paid, and then left down the escalator. He then snapped back and realized that he should have captured her finally buying something. He took a few steps into the adjacent section filled with men’s suits and then felt a hand grab his shoulder and then move across his front into a choke hold. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you buddy” Mitarai spoke, keeping up their charade but clearly still mad at him. “Are you ready to go?” clearly a command and not a question.

Aki easily turned and slid out of the hold, a smirk crossing his face “you know I never turn my back on a friend”. He could tell Mitarai wanted to sock him good but knew that he wouldn’t while they were in such a public place. 

“I should make you walk back” Mitarai replied, shoving the phone back at him and turning to head for the side stairwell. As luck would have it the complex they were in was attached to the garage the car was in so they didn’t even have to go back out onto the busy shopping street.

Once in the car Mitarai punched him in the shoulder. “70/30 for that little stunt”

“But you got the shots of what she actually bought.” Aki complained. “And since I ended up interacting with her I won’t be able to do much tailing for any future story on her!”

“And whose fault is that?” Mitarai replied.

“40/60” Aki said again.

Mitarai gave a reluctant grunt that Aki decided to interpret as “deal” and the two rode in silence back to the office, making only a quick conbini stop for food. Back at the office they both sifted through the photos, selecting the best ones and then touching them up. The evening drug on and finally each made their submissions to the boss’s mailbox for him to decide and compile in the morning.

Aki returned to the penthouse and did his best to quietly open the door. He was surprised however to find that the living room lights were still on and saw that Asami was just finishing up with a phone call and holding some documents in his hands. He reminded himself that he shouldn’t be surprised as there was no such thing as “regular hours” for either of them.

Asami glanced up at him and mumbled a “welcome home” and then continued to skim through the papers. Aki took off his coat and walked to his own room and then the bathroom to shower, the inviting warmth making it pleasant for him to shed his clothing. That had certainly been one benefit of moving here as every room had heating and cooling unlike his prior apartments.

He finished and as he exited noticed that Asami was still sitting on the couch and going through papers. He lingered for a moment in thought and then Asami glanced over at him. “Did you have fun shopping today” Asami spoke.

“I wasn’t “Shopping”” Aki replied and took a step closer. “I was working” he now stood just next to the couch and leaned forward “and stop following me all the time.”

“I was working too.” Asami replied.

“Stop having your people follow me all the time then.” Aki said back.

“You were following someone today too weren’t you?” Asami replied, mocking him slightly.

“That’s different” Aki turned his head trying to come up with a remotely logical come back.

Asami took the opportunity to reach up and guide him onto the couch next to him. He then leaned forward and pulled him into a kiss. Aki could feel his own anger and stress melt away as their lips touched and Asami pulled him closer, running a hand down his thigh.

“I was just working on a piece about what some idol decided to buy for her boyfriend” Aki finished his sentence from before and paused, wondering again what he should get Asami.

“Oh, and what would you like for Christmas” Asami whispered into his ear and then came to rest in a kiss at his neck, continuing to slowly run his hand over Aki’s leg.

“I-I don’t know” Aki replied, his voice hitching from the stimulation he was receiving.

“Are you sure?” Asami asked, moving his hand from Aki’s leg to his side and under his shirt. “They say it’s the most “magical time” of the year after all.” He continued further up his body.

“I…nrgh… I-I want to have Christmas cake and…ah…and see an illumination….hhhh…. with you” Aki spoke, interrupting himself as Asami’s hand moved about his chest and his mouth tugged at the shirt near his collar bone. He struggled to find the words to ask the same question back to Asami but Asami brought their lips together once more, squashing any chance of that.

Asami moved his hand to Aki’s waist band and pushed it aside. His hand lingered on Aki’s hip as if deciding whether to go forward or back next, or maybe just teasing him. Aki moaned at the touch all the same, which Asami greedily drank up, moving his tongue further into Aki’s mouth and gripping his hair more tightly.

Having seemed to make a decision, he moved his hand so as to further push down the boxers until Aki’s manhood was freed and overtop of them. Aki continued to groan into him, his own hand pulling at and gripping onto the corner of Asami’s pants, the other digging into the couch.

He’d jerk him off and then fuck him, Asami thought to himself as he relished how easily he could play Aki and how much he loved these kinds of moments. He moved his hand back to Aki’s hip, letting go of the waistband which slid back up and pushed lightly into the underside of Aki’s balls, eliciting a strained gasp.

Asami broke off the kiss, lifting his lips to allow Aki more space to breath, as he moved his hand to grip Aki’s cock and began working it. Aki shuddered from the touch and tried to bend forward but was stopped by the hand still entwined in his hair, which held him back. Asami planted kisses on his face and neck and continued to jerk him off, every so often running his thumb along his balls to hitch his breath and break up the moans.

It didn’t take long to make him cum, and with his own hand now covered, he moved to the rear to transfer it there, fingering him lightly to tease him open. Asami’s mind raced with the options of how he could position him, trying to decide what way he liked Aki best. He could shift him onto his lap, or push his back to the couch, or lay him over the back of the couch.

Zzzzzz……zzzzzzz……..zzzzzzzz

He heard his phone buzz against the table. He ignored it and continued fingering Aki.

Zzzzzz……zzzzzzz……..zzzzzzzz

Another call.

Zzzzzz……zzzzzzz……..zzzzzzzz

And another call. He let go of Aki’s hair and awkwardly reached for the phone that had just begun buzzing again with another call.

“Speak” Asami commanded, pissed, and hoping for whoever it was’s sake that it was god damn important.

Aki tried to stifle his voice as Asami proceeded to work his fingers further into him, while listening to whomever was on the other end of the line.

“tch, right, well I’ll be there shortly” He hung up and dropped it to the floor behind the couch.

“Sorry kitten, but I’m going to have to end it here for tonight” he pushed his fingers just far enough to make contact with one of his spots and then pulled out, leaving Aki to crumple sideways onto the couch. He stood up and forced himself down as he walked to his bedroom and put on his holster and suit jacket. He washed his hands, picked up the phone, and then leaned over the couch back and kissed Aki once more. “don’t wait up” he said and then left, the apartment now silent all but for the rise and fall of Aki’s breathing.

“bastard, not finishing what he started” Aki mumbled to himself, the mood broken but part of him still wondering if he should “continue” and pleasure himself, or just go to bed. “So much for showering, now I need to wash up again”. He rolled over and slung his arm across his face to block out the light as he thought. His mind drifted to the hazy realm between falling asleep and dreaming. He imagined someone’s “bad night” was about to get much worse with Asami’s arrival, that or something truly serious had occurred. That was the reality of Asami’s line of work though and it wasn’t unheard of for he himself to be rung up at odd hours to catch a scoop either. Work and personal life were rather intertwined for the two of them with little clarity on where one began and the other ended, with each interfering in the other’s “work” and each occupying a greater and greater part of the other’s “life”.

They both operated in a grey area. He loved the thrill of investigative photojournalism but couldn’t deny that the results of his work brought, often severe, consequences on the people involved. Like the girl today could lose her idol contract if it was proven that she has a boyfriend. He could feel at least a small sense of justice being served when it was things like political corruption or cover-ups but when it came to the tabloid things…well…he wasn’t sure exactly. 

Then there was Asami and all the things associated with him. How often had his own work resulted in Asami’s underlings or associates having been forced to take the fall or worse? Before, he would have grouped Asami with the corruption and darkness, but now he existed in a gray space. In accepting that his own photography brought about unfair harm did that also mean that he was okay with Asami doing the same? Then again was it really fair to compare losing a job or contract to torture and losing one’s life? How nonchalantly had he just acknowledged that someone may be being tortured or dying, in part for interrupting their love making?

The thoughts tumbled about until he finally fell fully into the inky darkness of sleep where he remained until morning. 

He awoke to sunlight filtering through the window and the living room light still on. The house was silent and a glance towards the entryway confirmed that Asami’s shoes and jacket were not there. He reached down and pulled his boxers back into place and then sat up, looking for the time. He got up and retrieved his phone. No missed calls or information about a new assignment, which made it a “show up whenever” kind of day.

He washed up and dressed and then made his way to the kitchen. He rummaged about the fridge and cabinets and assembled a breakfast for himself. Asami must still be attending to whatever business he had last night or he just decided to go straight to his office when he finished, Aki thought to himself. Some part of him still worried that every time Asami didn’t return right away that it would turn out to be him never returning. His nightmares were sometimes haunted by Asami’s death or, he was reluctant to admit, Asami’s abandonment or loss of interest in him. He’d never let Asami know that though, he’d barely even acknowledged it himself.

He finished and cleaned up the dishes and then headed for the office.


	2. Chapter 2

“Takaba-kun nice of you to join us today” his boss sarcastically chided as he entered.

“Do you have a new assignment for me?” Aki asked in response, ignoring the scolding.

“Well I was going to have you continue on the Kira-Kira-Chan story follow-up but since Mitarai said you got too involved again and so she might recognize you, you’re off that one.” His boss was clearly annoyed. “So for the time being all I have is advertisement shoots”

Aki groaned but smiled and agreed “Where and what time?”. Advertisement shoots were some of his least favorites as they quickly became monotonous, not to mention the models and directors were often a pain to work with. Still, it was photography and it was money.

His boss handed him a stack that hadn’t yet been pawned out to others in the firm, or rather they were probably the ones that no one else wanted. It was a fairly busy time for that kind of thing, what with the New Year’s Shopping season soon upon them, not to mention just the general seasonal goods that wanted to use the natural backdrops that winter in the city provided.

“I was about to cancel this one that wants to do this afternoon, but since you’re here, you can take it.” His boss spoke making it clear that he was to take the assignment.

“Yes sir” Aki made a mock salute and left to make his way to the location.

The shoot went fairly well and finished on schedule. He returned to the office to sort through them and do some minor touch up work. He then submitted the finished products and turned them into his boss. His boss flipped through them and seeming satisfied dismissed him for the evening.

Back at the penthouse, everything was just as he’d left it, but as it was still early evening he honestly wasn’t surprised that Asami wasn’t and hadn’t been there. He set to making dinner and once finished, with still no sign of Asami, sat down and ate by himself. Most nights were like this, the eating of dinner staggered or nonexistent. He’d put the leftovers in the fridge, ready to be reheated at any time.

As he packed up the food his eyes caught on the olive oil and his mind brought back a memory of the time Asami had “surprised” him while he was cooking. Dinner was ruined and it was no small miracle that nothing caught on fire. Still, it was a pleasant distraction, though he much preferred the couch to the counter. A smirk crossed his face that turned to a blush as he realized the lewdness of it all. It was probably best that what few guests they had didn’t know about everything that had transpired in the common areas.

He dripped some of the oil onto his hand and ran his fingers over it, taking in the familiar aroma and bringing it closer to his face. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue over his fingers, his saliva mixing with the oil. He pulled them into his mouth and finished sucking off the oil. He opened his eyes, not realizing he’d closed them, and shook his head, removing his fingers. He stared at his hand as if it weren’t his own. “Are you that desperate?” he spoke to himself, gripping his hand into a fist. He finished packing up the food and then went to take a shower.

Afterwards he sat in the living room and watched TV. The night grew later and struggling to stay awake he gave up and went to bed.

He awoke at a more decent hour, as he had two shoots to attend to today. The entryway still lacked any sign of Asami and the penthouse remained empty all but for him. As he went to prepare breakfast, he noticed something on the counter.

A small red envelope with his name on it. He was positive that hadn’t been there the night before so someone must have put it there while he was sleeping. He picked it up and turned it over, it was fastened with Asami’s seal. He opened it and pulled out a letter from inside. In a familiar refined scrawl was written “December 24th 7pm”. He turned the paper over in his hands but there was nothing else on it. “Typical for him to be light on the details, I guess he wants to keep me guessing.” Aki thought to himself.

He finished pulling together breakfast, ate, and then left to head for the first shoot location. Today’s were for some ads that were to be run for the New Year’s shopping rush. The store owners wanted to highlight some of their main goods and sections with the help of a cutely dressed local model. Tabloids were where the big money was at but local adverts were the firm’s bread and butter.

They day drug on, as it quickly became clear that he was the most experienced among them, and became the defacto director for both shoots. While not clear exactly what they wanted, he managed to capture what he thought would be good and then departed for the office.

When he arrived, his boss and Mitarai were nowhere to be seen making the place fairly quiet. He set to work with the cropping and edits and then sent them over to the design team to be turned into an actual insert. With the sheer volume to go through it was rather late by the time he left so he swung by the conbini to pick up something for dinner on his way back.

He returned to a dark penthouse, still empty all but for himself. He ate and showered and then watched some TV. He fought with himself to stay awake but as the night grew later he eventually gave in and went to bed.

He awoke to his alarm, dressed, and made his way to the kitchen. Asami’s shoes and coat were still nowhere to be seen but beside the opened envelope now sat another one. He was clearly playing with him now and deliberately coming and going while he was asleep. The one time being a heavy sleeper was a detriment. 

He reached for and opened the envelope. The letter inside this time had only one word “Roppongi”. So now he had a date, a time, and a place. He could only guess that they would be taking in the illumination that was famous there. Then it dawned on him that Asami had asked what he wanted for Christmas, which was just that. His heart fluttered a bit as he imagined strolling under the glowing trees with him on Christmas Eve.

But, he still didn’t know what he should get Asami for Christmas. Honestly, what does someone get a man that has the money and power to get almost anything he wants but who also has little interest in “things” as was evident by the sparsely decorated space? It wasn’t like any girlfriend he’d had who’d be happy with jewelry or candy. He certainly couldn’t afford any accessory Asami would actually wear and sweets were of little interest to him. Knowing Asami, he’d go over the top with whatever he had planned. How could he compare to that?

Frustrated, he continued to ruminate on it as he made and ate breakfast and then headed for the day’s shoot location for a fashion spread. Today’s was better organized with the designer and director both having at least an idea of what they wanted the models to do. Instead of a store or studio, they had opted for the streets and park, in order to have a more authentic look, which meant that he’d have more editing work later on to remove or blur the random passersby. 

Once finished, the designer insisted on taking them all to eat, and not one to pass up a free meal, he agreed. He felt out of place being in the upscale restaurant while wearing his normal work apparel of jeans and layered heat tech. No one seemed to mind though as they all ate and made light conversation about fashion and how the shoot had gone. Eventually the topic of Christmas and New Year’s came up with the models talking about their dates and plans. 

The ladies carried on about what their boyfriends better have prepared and the wrath they’d unleash if it wasn’t how they wanted it. The one was particularly adamant on the number of strawberries the cake was to have while the other insisted that earrings of any less than a certain karat were a sign that he didn’t actually like her. A few glasses of wine in and the director was all about the nightmare that his in-laws were and how he dreaded the yearly trek to their place and couldn’t stand a number of his wife’s other relatives.

He thought about how he hadn’t been home on New Year’s for quite some time. Both his parents’ families lived quite a ways a way and with money having been tight most of the time he hadn’t bothered traveling to see his extended family. Instead, he just visited his parents either before they left or after they returned from seeing everyone else. Those kinds of events just turned into everyone critiquing his life choices anyways.

“What about you Takaba-San?” hearing his name he snapped back to the conversation. “Do you have any plans for the Holidays?” one of the models asked, the group’s attention turning to him.

“Uh, not really.” He lied.

“You don’t have a girlfriend to spend it with?” another asked, seeming genuinely surprised. 

The designer chimed in “I would think a handsome young guy like you working with so many ladies would be spoken for”

“Ah…well…I keep busy with work and what with the odd hours and all…” his voice trailed off trying to form a better excuse of some sort.

The director now on his third or fourth glass spoke abruptly “You’re lying” he said matter-of-factly, staring dead at him. The table went silent at the sudden outburst.

Aki, startled, but quickly regaining his composure, shook his head and did his best to look confused.

“You’re…you’re far too happy….for someone….for someone spending…alone” the director continued, his coherency slipping.

Another model leaned in and lowered her voice. “Are the rumors true?” she asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Aki replied, now starting to feel that he was in an uncomfortable situation.

“You know, that you’re dating Ai-chan, but keeping it a secret so she doesn’t lose her idol career?” she continued.

Somewhat relieved that the “rumor” she was referring to wasn’t the one where he was a boy-toy for a Yakuza boss. “That’s not it. We’re not dating or anything. We just happened to be working together for a while is all” he replied, brushing them off.

Feeling the awkward tension, the designer redirected the conversation and then shortly thereafter declared an end to the meal. They all expressed their gratitude for his hospitality and then left.

Aki made his way to the office, his work day still not done, and proceeded to go through the photos. The evening wore on and he found himself to be the last one there by the time he finished and sent them on to the next group, who now wouldn’t get to them until the morning. He shut off the lights and left.

He felt dead tired by the time he reached the penthouse and so took a shower and then collapsed into his bed.

Morning came and with a sense of anticipation he awoke and went quickly to the kitchen counter to see if anything new was there. Beside the two envelopes now sat a small packet. He opened it and poured its contents onto the counter; a set of red and white knee high stockings. He then noticed another note that had slipped out with them “You’ll catch a cold if you sleep with wet hair”.

Shit, had he really been that out of it that he hadn’t noticed him coming into his room at some point last night? He was almost surprised that he hadn’t been fucked awake but then again he wasn’t sure if he was happy or disappointed by that. He also hopped that Asami’s clothing selection would include more than just these silly stockings.

His phone buzzed. It was his boss telling him to come to the office for a new batch of assignments that had to be taken care of. He quickly dressed and left, deciding food would have to wait.

“Takaba-kun, I need you to take care of some more business shoots today and then some important fashion shoots for two of our high-end clients tomorrow and the next day”

“Got it, just give me the details” Aki came closer to the desk and his boss handed him a stack of papers. He glanced at the details for the first one and then shoved the papers in his bag and left.

He made his way to the traditional sweets and tea shop that had contracted them for a New Year’s advert. He was greeted by the owner, a kind older lady, and her son. She explained the new products they wanted to promote and Aki assisted her in setting the space to catch the best images possible. The whole thing went fairly quickly as the shop was small and for the most part they seemed to know what they wanted.

Once he finished she insisted that he come and sit to have some tea and sweets. Before he could reply his stomach answered for him, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten yet today. She smiled warmly at him and then came back with tea and zenzai along with a plate of senbei.  
She sat and spoke to him like a grandmother would, reminding him of the importance of eating and commenting on how skinny he was. He smiled and nodded in response, trying to eat in a somewhat refined matter instead of just gobbling it all down.

He finished and went to stand, thanking her for her hospitality. As he went to leave she insisted he wait a moment longer and then disappeared into the back of the shop. She returned with a nicely wrapped parcel and handed it to him. “This is our most popular product, a sampler box of sweets.”

He felt awkward receiving yet another thing for simply doing his job, a service they were already paying for, but she insisted and politely shoved it into his hands, not taking “no” for an answer. He thanked her again and then left to head to the next location. He pulled the papers from his bag checking the time and location for the next shoot.

It was another small business, this time a tableware seller. He arrived and introduced himself. The middle aged gentleman showed him around the store that seemed to carry dishes in about every size, shape, and color imaginable. Towards the back, the man then directed his attention to what would be their featured product. Every year they released a new plate for New Year’s, which had become a popular collectable. This year’s featured a boar and floral pattern.

He staged the area and adjusted the lighting until he got the shot he was after. The man then directed him to some other parts of the store to be photographed, all while explaining in far too much detail what made everything they passed special. While these kinds of shoot were rather easy they were incredibly boring. Still, he maintained a professional demeanor, his act well received as always, insuring that the client was pleased. He finished and announced his departure but before he could leave the man handed him a box as well. It contained two small dishes with a delicate maple leaf pattern.

“These are from our Fall collection, but they seemed fitting for you, so please have them” the man spoke. Aki again felt awkward about all the sudden gifts but received it graciously.

He stopped by the conbini on the way back to the office for a late lunch early dinner. Back at the office he ate and worked on the photos from that day’s shoots. He finished and got them off to marketing at a more reasonable hour and then left.

He walked into the house and still saw no sign of Asami’s shoes or coat. Everything seemed to be as he had left it, envelopes strewn across the kitchen counter. He dropped his bag by the couch and went to the kitchen to make dinner.

After eating, he took a shower, and then flopped onto the couch. He reached into his bag and pulled out the assignment papers. Tomorrows would be a fashion shoot in an actual studio and the day after’s would be at an outside location. As he read through the details, it dawned on him that the day after was Christmas Eve. He flipped to that page to read the details again. They wanted to do both a daytime and evening shoot to have different backdrops. Their anticipated timeline was 11am-6pm. Crap that wouldn’t leave anytime for editing. He read further though and noticed that they had agreed to a 3 day turn around and only wanted photos, so it wouldn’t need to go to any other department once he was finished. There wouldn’t be enough time to come home and go back between it and his evening with Asami, but that shouldn’t be too big of a deal. Besides, they wanted to use the Roppongi area anyways so he wouldn’t have to worry about traffic or anything.

He began to imagine himself walking there with Asami, the lights and shops, and all around festive and romantic atmosphere. He still didn’t have a gift for him though. True, he could give him the box of traditional sweets that did look quite nice, but sweets really weren’t his thing. He could make a nice dinner but there wouldn’t be enough time for that and he probably had other plans already. There had to be something he could give him, why couldn’t he just have asked him when he had the chance? He thought to himself.

It wasn’t like there was really any time left to shop anyways but still.

Maybe if he stayed up long enough he’d be able to catch Asami whenever he came in and just ask him then. Pulling an all-nighter with work the next day wasn’t a great idea but he felt his stubbornness win out and so remained on the couch trying to stay awake. He’d catch Asami in the gift-giving-act and then… his mind trailed off. Just say “what do you want for Christmas?”… this plan was silly. Regardless, he refused to go to bed. With the TV turned up he stayed seated and fought back the sleepiness that tried to overtake him.

He felt that he was winning at it but then after “resting his eyes” for “just a moment” he awoke to his phone alarm buzzing against the table. Crap, when did he fall asleep? How long had it been? He went to stand up and felt something slide from his lap and fall to the floor.

He looked down and then picked it up. It was another red package, similar sized to the previous one. “Damn it Asami, I rest my eyes for one moment and you manage to come and go in that time.” He spoke to the air. He then turned to look at the entry way, confirming that only his own shoes were there.

He opened the package, pulling out its contents. It was another piece of clothing, which he unfolded and held up to look at; tight red boxers or should he say booty shorts. Well at least Asami didn’t want him in only stockings, though he’d probably end up that way at some point.

He reached back in and pulled out the note he knew would be there. “If you stay up too late you won’t be ready for work”. He knew his plan was stupid but it still irritated him to hear Asami say so too. Luckily he’d set the alarm for far earlier then he needed to and so he still had plenty of time.

He made breakfast and then went to get dressed. As he walked into his room he noticed a candy cane on his bed with a ribbon and tag that read “sweet dreams”. 

“Sweet dreams my ass, would you stop fooling around already”, he grumbled under his breath, throwing on pants and a shirt. He reached for it but then decided to leave it for later.

Back in the living room he pulled the sweets and plates out of his bag and left them on the couch. He then made his way to the studio. The day progressed as he expected and they even finished a bit early which gave him plenty of time to work on edits back at the office. His boss was nowhere to be seen and Mitarai was out working on the Kira-chan project.

He finished and made his way back to the penthouse. He knew it’d only be himself there again tonight but he felt like cooking and so decided to make dinner for two like normal. He went to his bedroom to ditch his bag and change into something looser and lighter.

The candy cane remained there staring at him. He picked it up and tore off its lower wrapping and bow. There was nothing wrong with snacking while making dinner, he thought to himself. So, he went back to the kitchen to begin preparing it.

Needing two hands for most things, he stuck the rod of the candy cane in his mouth and sucked on it as he chopped the meat and vegetables and heated up the pan.

He ran his tongue around it and sucked harder to keep it from falling as it continued to dissolve in his mouth. The dry cool sweetness of it contrasted strongly with the wet warm savory filled air around him. He pulled it further into his mouth until he hit what remained of the wrapper.

He set the pan and spoon down and reached up to remove the remainder of the wrapper. His candy filled saliva had run down and over it, making his hands sticky as he pulled it off. He shoved what remained of the candy into his mouth and threw away the wrapper. He tried to lick the stickiness off his fingers but only managed to get more of the sugary mess on them.

He gave up and went back to cooking, flipping the hook of the candy over and over in his mouth as he stirred the food in the pan, tossing it every so often. Soon enough it was gone and the food was ready. He served himself and ate, the spice and flavor overtaking what remained of the sweetness that had been there.

Once finished, he packed up what was left of the food and put it in the fridge. He showered and then returned to the living room. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. The TV show on had a newscaster going to different parts of the city that were decorated for the holidays and interviewing random people. It then switched back to the studio where more of the cast discussed the pros and cons of the different areas and then revealed the results of a poll to declare that Roppongi was the best. He felt himself grinning like an idiot suddenly and shook his head. You’re far too excited, he told himself, trying to scale back the building anticipation he felt.

After staying up late the night before, and knowing that tomorrow would be a long day, he shut off the TV and went to bed, visions of what Asami would bring, dancing in his head.

He woke up the next morning before his alarm went off. He walked to the kitchen to see what surprise would be there today. The shorts had moved from the couch to the counter and beside them now sat a small red box, tied with a bow.

He pulled at the ribbon until it came undone and released the cover. He opened the lid and looked inside. There sat four large juicy strawberries and another note.

“A preview for this evening, come dressed accordingly”

He picked up one of the strawberries and ate it. By “dressed accordingly” did he mean to wear the other gifts or did he mean to be dressed formally? Probably the former, but should he pack a suit or something, just in case? It would get all wrinkled if it was folded up in his bag or scooter satchel though.

He ate another one and pulled together a breakfast as he thought about what he should wear. Regardless, he’d have to be prepared to be outside for a long period of time which meant layered heat tech and thick jeans, which were all the better to hide that he would be wearing knee high stockings.

But the thought of trying not to be “caught” wearing such things always brought a bit of excitement with it and honestly this ensemble wasn’t that outlandish compared to others. Really he could wear just about anything and no one would be able to tell in the winter with all the layers of clothing he needed to wear to not freeze.

He reached for another berry, taking it in and savoring the sweet juice that gushed from it as he bit down and finished it off. He then ate the last remaining berry and cleaned up the kitchen, washing his hands in the process.

He picked up the shorts and stockings and walked to his room to get dressed for the day. He decided he wouldn’t bother with a suit or anything. He figured that if Asami expected him to be dressed nicely he needed to say so. Finished, he grabbed his camera and coat and made his way to the shoot location.  
 


	3. Chapter 3

He’d worked with this designer and director before and they seemed to remember him too when he arrived. They’d acquired a conference room in one of the hotels along the strip to be used as a dressing and staging space for the models. The designer explained the inspirations for his latest line and the director reinterpreted his “vision” into a more concrete plan for the images they wanted to capture. Aki listened closely, slightly amused by the seeming disconnect between what the one wanted and the other was telling him to do.

The models came out as each was finished being dressed and having their hair and make-up done. The director introduced them to Aki who then proceeded to photographing each of their individual ensembles before moving on to do different pairings and finally a large group number with the whole collection.

Despite their best efforts they still seemed to constantly be obstructing traffic or drawing gawkers. They moved to the park before they could cause any more of a disturbance to the shops and restaurants they were in front of. Some members of the larger crew set up a warming and touch-up area there for people to rest and be re-done.

The director finally called for a break period in the late afternoon and ushered everyone back to the conference space for lunch and to properly warm-up, as it was hovering just around the freezing point outside. Once there, the models went behind the partitioned area to change and everyone else picked-up a bento box and made their way to a table.

Aki sat alone but was soon joined by a couple members of the crew and some of the models as they filed back out. Being Christmas Eve, the topic of conversation soon moved to everyone’s plans for the evening. Like before, a couple of the ladies talked about what they expected of their boyfriends but this time having both male and female models, the guys mentioned what they had planned as well. The ladies were quick to both judge and reassure them on their plans and choices and offer up suggestions of their own.

“Takaba-san what are your plans for this evening?” one asked.

Before he could answer another chimed in “What did you get for your girlfriend?” having been less than impressed with the other guys’ present choices.

It was a question he still didn’t really know how to answer “Well….I don’t have a girlfriend so I didn’t get anything…but I may hang out with some friends or something…” It wasn’t completely a lie, he had a boyfriend not a girlfriend and he still hadn’t gotten him any kind of present.

“Really?!” They both seemed surprised, why was everyone always so interested in his partnership or lack-there-of? The two looked at each other and then shared a knowing smile. Aki decided to ignore them and went back to finishing his food. Everyone broke off into their own two or three person conversation groups and soon thereafter the director came up to him to talk about the plan for the rest of the day.

For right now they were really just waiting for sunset and the illumination to be turned on. Low light and evening photography was particularly challenging, which luckily this director seemed fairly knowledgeable and understanding of. He beckoned over the lighting crew so that Aki could talk with them as well for what would be needed and how they all wanted to do things.

For once he was glad about the early sunsets that winter brought, as it meant that they could start shooting, and hopefully finish, soon. They all still had some time to kill until then and so continued to mingle. Aki flipped through the pictures he had taken earlier, not sure what else to do with this time. He thought about the evening to come and realized that Asami had never specified a specific location, only the general area. He pulled out his phone and shot him a text “Where should I meet you tonight?”.

From the corner of his eye he saw a group approaching and so looked up from his phone.

“Takaba-san” one of the ladies from earlier sang out his name “can you show us some of the pictures from earlier?” A group of four of them came closer.

“Uh, sure I guess, but I don’t have any monitor so it’s only the camera screen” He held it up to show them.

“That’s okay” they moved closer and gathered around behind him.

He started flipping through them again and tilted it so they could see better. They commented on their own and each other’s expressions and poses and laughed at what would later be deleted or unused. As they came to one set, one of them asked Aki’s opinion of it.

“What do you think of this pose?” “Do you think it makes her look cute?”

He knew how hypercritical they could be of themselves and each other and having no opinion on it really he decided to agree with them.

“Yeah, I think it’s a good picture” he replied.

“You don’t think that short hair makes her look boyish?” Another asked, to which he could feel the first girl punch her over.

“No, short hair’s pretty popular right now” he said.

“Which do you prefer Takaba-san, long hair or short hair?”

This was certainly a catch 22 as the girls around him had both long and short hair making whichever he chose the “wrong answer”.

“I think it depends on the person. Some people look better with long hair and others look better with short hair.” He hoped his answer would appease them.

They seemed to accept his answer and then the first one spoke again. “Takaba-san, since you’re a guy I need your advice.” Leaving no room for disagreement she continued “I think the guy that I’ve been seeing wants to ask me to officially be his girlfriend but isn’t sure that I’ll say “yes” so what can I do to show him that I am really interested in him?”

“I don’t know, I think it really depends on the guy” he spoke “You could just tell him and then he’d know” he continued.

“I couldn’t do that!” she replied as if that was the worst advice she ever heard.

“What about hand-holding, or dressing a certain way?” She asked “would you read anything like that as “this girl is interested in me”?”

“Maybe? I guess hand-holding is a couple’s thing or I guess any kind of touching would show that you’re interested?”

Girls always seemed to make things far more complicated then they needed to be, he thought to himself. Then again “complicated” didn’t even begin to explain the nature of his own personal relationship. He really wished they’d understand that he was not the one to be asking advice from.

“You should try asking one of the guys from earlier who actually has a girlfriend right now. They’d probably be more helpful.”

The lady seemed annoyed with his answer again but before she could protest or ask anything further the director called for everyone’s attention and explained that they’d be heading back outside again soon and that the models were to go get dressed.  
Aki took the opportunity to politely bow out and go meet-up with the director and lighting crew.

“You’re quite popular with the ladies aren’t you Takaba-kun, I’m jealous” one of the lighting crew members teased as he came over to join them.

“Don’t be. It’s like a never ending interrogation.” He replied, shaking his head. The crew member laughed and then gathered up the gear.

They all headed out to set up the location, which the director and models would join them at later. The temperature had dropped significantly from earlier and would probably continue to do so as night fell. He’d have to time the shots around the models’ breathing so as not to have them obscured by the smoke like clouds they would be creating.

The director was a step ahead of him though and as the models each came for their shoot he instructed them to hold their breath or have more delayed breathing. He added this on top of the 20 other instructions that he gave each as he directed them on how to pose.

As they were switching between models one who was in the group from earlier but who hadn’t spoke, approached him.

“I’m up next” she spoke, tapping him on the shoulder “please let me know if you need me to do anything in particular” she gripped lightly and then let go, walking towards the area they would be using. The large fountain with a lit up water display that created a shimmering glass effect. The director resumed his directing which she followed.

It took many tries as the lighting and water were both difficult effects to catch. He opted to go for a longer exposure and so the director told her to take a deep breath and hold her pose perfectly still.

As if in slow motion, Aki noticed the small wobble in her legs that was followed by a sway backwards. The camera being on a tripod, he leapt forward and grabbed at her wrist to stop her from falling. Despite his efforts her buckled legs still caused her to collapse backwards into the fountain but he had at least managed to stop her from hitting her head. He reached with his other hand and pulled her to a sitting position on the fountain’s edge, as the director and other crew members rushed forward.

Her face went from white to deep pink and she hurriedly assured everyone that she was okay. But now soaked, she couldn’t continue with the shoot. She apologized profusely and insisted that she didn’t need to go to a hospital and that she’d just gotten a bit light headed was all. The director instructed for someone to find something for her to dry off with and called a cab to come take her back to the hotel.

“Sorry I couldn’t stop you from getting wet” Aki said.

“There’s nothing you need to apologize for” she said flustered. “I can’t thank you enough for stopping me from falling harder.” “I’m sorry for worrying everyone” she turned her head and looked down embarrassed and the cold starting to set in.

Someone finally found a towel and the cab arrived, whisking her and another model back to the hotel.

“Well now that we’ve all had a bit of excitement for the night, let’s go ahead and continue” the director spoke. They continued on and didn’t do any more shoots by the fountain. Between shoots he looked down at his phone and noticed it was past 6, the time they were supposed to end, and that there was still no response from Asami.

He quickly sent off another message “In the area, shoot running over, hopefully finished soon” and then got back to work. They finished the singles shots but now the pairs and groups were down a member. The director re-arranged the line-up but wasn’t completely happy with it and so kept swapping out different people.

The director’s phone buzzed and he took the call, nodding to whomever was on the other end. He then announced that the girl from earlier would be re-joining them and that they’d managed to clean and dry the clothes and that she was certain she could continue. 

Aki looked down at his own phone, noting that the time was creeping ever closer to 7pm. Maybe Asami had gotten caught up with work too and that’s why he wasn’t answering.

The two girls from before returned and they resumed the shoot, re doing almost all the pair and group shots from before. With that finished, the director dismissed most of the models and then gave Aki and the girl instructions on how to re-do her shoot from before in the new location.

She again gripped his shoulder “Let’s do our best”.

He couldn’t put his finger on it but something was different about her poses and demeanor this time, which seemed to throw the director as well, as he kept having her redo them. Can’t we be finished already, Aki thought to himself. More time passed but the director finally seemed content with the results and so called an end to it.

Aki hurriedly tried to pack up his things, knowing that 7 had since come and gone.

“Uh, thanks again for earlier” she said, walking up to him. “I, um, I was wondering if… if you’d like to go to…to dinner with me?” “I’ll buy” she quickly added.

“Sorry I already have plans” his response came out slightly more curt then he’d have liked.

“What about tomorrow then?” she asked, coming even closer.

Was she asking him out? He thought to himself. Then he started to connect the dots from earlier and the line of questioning the other girls had instigated. He should have known they were up to something from the looks they all gave each other during lunch. 

Now he’d have to be the bad guy heartbreaker and on Christmas Eve of all times.

“Tomorrow’s not good either, you see….” His voice trailed off, not able to say “boyfriend” but also unable to lie and say “girlfriend”. While he was good at keeping secrets, he was pretty bad at lying.

“Oh…okay then” her voice sounded disappointed but still had the distinct ring of possibility.

“Excuse me miss, but I have business to attend to with this young man” a familiar voice rang out behind him as he felt a strong hand grip down on his shoulder.

He didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Asami.

He watched as her expression changed and changed again and he could only imagine the look Asami was giving her right now as he could almost feel the “back off” commanding waves emanating from him.

She couldn’t compete. “Thank you for your hard work today” she bowed and quickly left, most of the crew already gone now too.

“Thanks-” Aki said, turning around to face him, his words interrupted by lips meeting his and then pulling away.

“Hey, we’re still in public” Aki protested, half-heartedly.

“I don’t like being made to wait” Asami replied, locking eyes with him.

“I couldn’t help that it ran over and why weren’t you answering your phone?” Aki spoke.

“It’s more fun to hunt you down” Asami smirked. “Now, have you had enough of these lights or do you wish to take them in through something other than your lens”.

Aki slung his bag over his shoulder. “I still want to see the lights with you” he said unabashedly.

Asami gestured for him to lead, a rare sight in and of itself. They walked down the tree lined sidewalk, neither speaking. As expected the area was rather crowded with all the other people who had come to admire the lights and stroll beneath them.

Now not occupied with his camera, he realized that his hands were freezing so he shoved them into his pockets, wishing he had gloves or some hand warmers. He ignored the cold and focused instead on the trees around them. Every so often the lights would create a rippling effect down the whole street, as if a wave had just passed by. They’d then switch to a soft breathing like motion with each tree diming and brightening and then go back to solid blue and white for a while. Near the end of each hour they’d switch from the regular icy-blue to a warmer red and amber.

It was simple but still he found it mesmerizing, a nice contrast to the park which used only unchanging blue and white lights. Every so often he’d glance over to Asami, enjoying how he looked bathed in the lights’ soft glow. The icy-blue seemed fitting with his suit and peacoat. He felt inclined to capture the moment on film but also felt that that would ruin the moment and so refrained from doing so.

Asami noticed and starred back at him, capturing and holding his gaze. Just then the lights switched to red and amber, like fall leaves or a raging fire. A leather gloved hand reached over and ran down the side of his face and pushed up his chin.

“This color suits you better” Asami spoke still not breaking his eyes’ hold on him.

Aki blushed and pulled his hand out of his pocket to force Asami’s to release him so he could look away. He then mumbled something to himself.

Asami easily twisted his own hand around to grip onto Aki’s, covering the exposed flesh.

“Should I have gotten you some gloves as well?” he raised an eyebrow, looking at Aki’s hand.

“I have gloves” Aki replied “…I just forgot to bring them… and they get in the way when I’m using a camera”.

Asami continued gripping onto his hand and Aki didn’t protest.

The lights switched back to blue and white and suddenly Aki felt his pocket vibrating with a text. He instinctively reached for it to check. It was from Mitarai “Hey, working the Kira-chan project, heard u in Rop, K may be there, let me know if u see her” he switched his phone to silent and shoved it back in his pocket.

“nothing” he answered the unasked question, turning his attention back to Asami. “no more distractions”

By now they had reached the plaza with the large Christmas tree made of lights. People milled about, chatting and taking selfies, and walking close to one another to fight the cold. He’d sense put his hands back in his pockets but in that moment he had the strong desire to hold Asami’s hand and lean into him. He couldn’t bring himself to do it though, not here, not now.

“If there’s something you want, you can tell me” Asami spoke as if reading his mind.

“Later” Aki replied, turning his attention to the tree. 

His focus was broken however when he noticed a familiar face in the crowd, or he should say familiar “person” with their face nearly covered. She wore a similar hat and bulky scarf like before but this time she had an arm wrapped around a guy who unmistakably was wearing the gloves he had seen her buy. He was certain that it was Kira-Kira-chan.

Asami followed his sudden change in gaze. “Your work?” he asked.

“Not this time” Aki replied, returning his attention to Asami. Mitarai was on his own. Besides, it was Christmas Eve and he felt that she too deserved to spend it in piece with the person that she loved.

He took in the lights a while longer and then feeling Asami’s growing impatience, said “We can go now”

“Right this way” Asami replied, leading him towards the edge of the square. The car pulled up a moment later and he ushered him into it. Kirishima said nothing and a short drive later they were back at the penthouse. He got out and opened the doors for them and then saw that they entered the building.

As soon as the door closed and they were on the elevator Asami wrapped an arm around Aki and pulled him into a kiss for the duration of the ride. “This is what I wanted to do earlier” Asami said as the elevator dinged announcing they were on their floor.

He opened the door, which had been deliberately left unlocked, and then latched it behind them. He removed his shoes and then went in for another kiss while Aki was still undoing his.

“mhm…wait a sec until I get my shoes off” Aki said trying to break it off so he could undo his laces. Asami paused just long enough for him to finish and then pushed him against the wall, pulling at his jacket, which was trapped beneath his camera bag strap.

Between breaks for air he spoke “Let me” “take off” “my camera bag” and pulled at it, trying to get it off over his head, which required it passing in between their faces. He eventually forced it between them and fumbled to set it on the shoe cabinet.

Now free of it, Asami ran his hands over Aki’s shoulders and pushed the coat back and off of him, letting it drop to the floor. He pulled his own gloves off and let them too fall to the floor.

Aki reached up and fumbled with the buttons on Asami’s jacket, trying to undo them without being able to see. Once finished, Asami shrugged off the coat.

He let his lips part from a panting Aki and just stared at him for a moment.

Aki’s stomach growled, and he cursed it under his breath.

Asami smirked, stifling a laugh, “I guess I better feed you before we continue”

Aki’s face flushed a deeper shade of pink, but he didn’t protest as Asami lead him by the hand to the kitchen table. Spread there was a sushi plater arranged to look like a tree, and a classic Christmas cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream. 

Asami guided him into a seat and then sat across from him. Aki stared at it all, slightly overwhelmed and still ripe with desire. “Eat” Asami commanded. “Or do you need my help?” he playfully teased.

“I can fuckin’ feed myself” Aki snapped back to his usual self, picking up the chopsticks before him and selecting a piece, which he then shoved into his mouth. Asami just smirked at him from across the table and watched him eat.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Aki spoke between pieces. “If you wait too long I’ll finish it all off myself” he warned.

Asami continued to look amused by his statement “I will, since you’ll make yourself sick if you do that” he picked up his chopsticks and selected a piece, chewing it slowly to savor its flavor.

Together they made quick work of the platter. “Do you want dessert now or later?” Asami asked, looking from Aki to the cake.

“There’s always room for cake” Aki replied.

“Go ahead and cut it then” Asami replied, motioning towards the knife and plates that sat beside it. Aki noticed that they were the ones that the shop keep had given him. Having Christmas cake on a maple leaf plate seemed a little strange but as far as he was concerned a plate was a plate.

He brought the cake towards him and stood slightly, to have a better angle to cut from. He eyed it for a moment trying to decide how to divide it, and then brought the blade down near the center and cut into it. He brought it back up to make the next cut and then felt something touch his ankle and run up his calf, startling him.

“Hey!” he looked over at Asami angrily “You’re going to make me cut myself”

“I doubt it” Asami replied nonchalantly and stood up. He took off his suit jacket and hung it on the chair back. He then walked back around the table, behind Aki, and towards the kitchen. Aki eyed him suspiciously and then turned back to pull out the slice and place it on a plate. He then went to cut another and heard a familiar “pop” behind him of a bottle being opened.

Asami returned to the table with two champagne flutes filled with a bubbly pink liquid and Aki pulled out the second slice and put it on the plate, pushing it towards him.

“What’s this?” Aki asked eyeing the beverage.

“Rosé Champagne” Asami responded, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a sip. “The color seemed fitting for the occasion” he continued, ignoring the cake presented to him.

Aki took a sip as well and then returned his attention to the cake before him. He pressed into it with his fork, going through the layers of short cake, cream, and strawberry slices, and brought it to his mouth. The sweetness and acidity tickling his taste buds. He smiled.

He then felt something touch the inside of his ankle and lightly push his foot to the side. He ignored him and continued to eat his cake. He then felt it lightly brush his lower calf and then slowly move up towards his knee. The action sent a shiver through his body and he shuddered.

He glared at Asami who pretended to ignore him and continued to sip on his champagne as if he’d done nothing.

Aki went back to eating but then felt his other foot pushed aside and a foot run up his calf causing him to shudder again. He took another bite of cake.

He felt the foot run up his calf again, pushing it aside and continuing past his knee this time and onto his thigh. The resulting shudder flinched his arm causing him to shove cake onto his nose and chin. When he looked up to glare this time, Asami’s eyes met his, no longer pretending to ignore him.

“You missed your mouth” Asami teased, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

“And whose fault is that?!” Aki replied, reaching a hand up to wipe the cream off his face. Asami moved his foot further up his thigh and onto the chair. Anticipating the shudder this time, Aki leaned forward, reaching out his hand and wiping the cream on Asami’s cheek in a quick “accidental” fashion.

“Sorry, my hand slipped” Aki said with an air of bratty innocence, and licked what remained of the cream off his hand.

Asami pushed his foot further forward into Aki’s crotch. The sudden pressure causing him to fold forward and gasp. Asami took the opportunity to reach forward and grab his shirt collar, pulling him closer to him. He licked the cream from his chin and then pushed his tongue between Aki’s lips and into a kiss.

He pulled his foot away and then loosened his grip on Aki’s collar. “It is pretty good cream” he remarked and then licked what remained off the tip of Aki’s nose. “I’m ready for dessert then” with his free hand he reached down to the untouched slice on the plate beneath him and ran his finger down the side, scooping up the cream.

He then brought his hand up to Aki’s face and smeared the cream along his cheek, tracing his jaw bone and then bopping his nose.

Aki stuck his tongue out, catching Asami’s finger as it moved away from his nose. Asami obliged resting in back down on Aki’s tongue and lower lip and letting him pull it in and clean the cream from it. He then removed it and brought his own face toward Aki’s. He ran his tongue along his jaw line and cheek, removing the cream he had placed there moments ago.

Aki nuzzled into him and licked up the cream he had put on his face as well. Asami then moved his lips to Aki’s neck, planting soft kisses as he made his way towards his collar bone. Aki tightened his grip and brace on the table, trying not to knock over the glasses or fall onto anything. As Asami pulled him closer, he felt his waist press into the table’s edge and wished desperately to remove the barrier between them.

“nrgh…A-Asami…can we…move this…?” Aki spoke.

Asami lifted his head back up to look at Aki. He loosened his grip and then slowly released him. With flaming and seductive eyes he stared into Aki’s and stood. “I guess now is a good time for gifts” he spoke, not breaking eye contact as he walked around the table to where Aki half stood hunched over it.

He reached down and then in a single swift motion threw him over his shoulder.

“I have legs, you don’t need to carry me all the time” Aki protested as Asami carried him towards the bedroom.

“How else should I deliver you to the bedroom?” Asami mused, opening the door and then closing it behind them. The room was lit with the soft glow of ambient lighting. He lightly tossed him onto the bed and then with one foot on the floor and a knee on the bed leaned over him.

“Since you already opened your gifts, I’ll go ahead and open mine” Asami whispered into his ear.

Aki turned his face away a bit ashamed “I-I don’t have any gifts for you though. I couldn’t decide what to get, and-and I didn’t know what you might like, so…” his voice trailed off, his lips forming into a pout.

Asami chuckled and then wholeheartedly laughed.

“What’s so funny!?” Aki exclaimed a bit surprised by the unusual and unexpected reaction.

“You are plenty” he replied “now where was I” he moved his hands to Aki’s hips and pushed them under the base of his shirt, moving the material up his body and exposing his stomach and then chest. He pulled the garment off of him, leaving his top bare.

He resumed his line of kisses from where he’d left off, now no longer hindered by his clothing. Moving along to his shoulder and then down to his chest. He brought his hands up and teased him there, drawing light circles around his nipples.

Aki panted contentedly, tossing his head lightly. Asami stopped and moved his hands lower, coming back to Aki’s hips. He undid the button and zipper there, pushing into his pelvis as he did so. From the waist band he slowly worked them down, exposing the red undergarment he’d selected and then the stripped knee highs until the pants were totally off.

Asami pulled him further up onto the bed and then knelt completely over him. Aki stared up at him. Asami took his hands off of Aki and brought them back to himself. He loosened and undid his tie and then in a slow strip tease fashion, undid the buttons of his dress shirt. Aki continued to stare, mesmerized by the show and carrying an expression similar to what he’d had at the illumination.

Asami shrugged off the shirt, letting it fall down his arms, and then chucked it aside. He leaned back over Aki, who reached his hands up and wrapped them around him, pulling him closer excited by the greater skin to skin contact.

“What do you want for Christmas” Asami growled seductively, their chests now pressed together.

“You” Aki purred “All I want for Christmas is you” he somewhat sang, the song playing in his head that had been seemingly played on loop at every shopping space in the area. He lifted his head up for another kiss.

“That can be arranged” Asami replied and then met his lips with his own. He moved one of his hands back down to Aki’s waistband and played with it; sliding his fingers under it, pulling at and letting it snap back.

Aki whined, wanting his hand to be further over. Asami ignored him, continuing to kiss and play with the waistband. Aki bucked his hips, instinctively in search of friction, but Asami gripped his side and held him down.

“Not yet” Asami spoke, ending their kiss. Asami leaned back again, unlacing Aki’s hands from his neck so that he’d remain laid out on the bed. From his pocket he pulled out something red. Aki watched as he unraveled and held up the long satin looking ribbon. He drug it over Aki’s chest and stomach and then brought it under his head and behind his neck.

He twisted and laced it into an intricate pattern, pulling in Aki’s arms, and working further down his body. When he reached his waist, he pulled down the boxers just enough so as to thread it through and finish the setup he wanted. He’d leave his legs relatively free for now.

“Now then, what a lovely package you make” Asami said, surveying his work. Aki’s hands and arms were bound together in front of him, with his hands just under his chin, and the rest of the ribbon was laid out to aid in positioning and stimulating him; especially the last line which ran under the base of his shaft, which was still pressed beneath his boxers.

“I don’t foresee there being any interruptions this time but I’m going to take you first” Asami spoke matter-of-factly. He flipped him over so that he was kneeling with his forearms against the bed. Asami lightly smacked his ass and then pulled the boxers down to expose his rear.

While not blindfolded, his range of vision was now severely limited, being only able to turn his head ever so slightly. He heard another familiar “pop” as a bottle cap was flipped opened. A strong scent permeated the space and reminded him of the candy cane from before.

Asami rolled the thick gel in his hand and then brought a finger to the base of Aki’s spine, trailing it down until he reached his entrance, which he circled and pressed into.

Aki shivered at the cooling sensation that the peppermint created as it seeped into his skin. He’d never thought about being fucked with a candy cane but he imagined he was about to find out. Asami wasted little time in adding a second finger to spread him.

Aki moaned into the bedsheet, his unfulfilled desires finally being met. He heard the unzipping of Asami’s pants and knew what was about to come. 

He was wrong. It wasn’t a candy “cane” but rather a candy “log” that came into him. He yelped at the sudden greater stretch and panted heavily as he made his way into him.

“A-ahhh….huhhh….m-more” he pleaded.

Asami grunted in response and pushed further into him, happy to fulfill his request. He reached forward and gripped onto the ribbon, lifting his body, the other hand remaining firmly gripped around Aki’s hip. He pulled back and then plunged further in, knowing right where to strike. Aki moaned out in pleasure as he did and then bit into the bedsheets, stifling himself.

Asami pulled on the ribbon, forcing his head to lift off the bed. “I want to hear your voice” Asami commanded. He pulled out a bit and plunged back in again, starting up an ever increasing rhythm that was punctuated with Aki’s cries.

Aki’s own shaft strained against its confines, wanting to be touched and let free. Aki whined at the discomfort it created.

“It’s close enough now” Asami spoke and let go of his grip on his hip. He moved the hand around to Aki’s front and pulled down the waistband there, freeing his cock. He wrapped his hand around it and changed his grip on the ribbon so as to add pressure to the line that ran under his base.

Aki moaned at finally receiving attention there as well. Asami tightened his grip and jerked him off, timing the pulls with his own thrusts until he was certain that they were both on the edge of release. He ran his thumb over Aki’s tip and made his own final thrust, sending them both into the dreamy ecstasy they so desired.

Asami pulled them over so that they laid with their sides against the bed, his arm possessively wrapped around him and his fingers mindlessly moving along the ribbon’s edges. He pulled out, eliciting a whimper from Aki but continued to spoon and cuddle him, his other hand playing with Aki’s hair. “Merry Christmas” he mumbled and then they laid in silence for a while longer.

Asami’s hand continued along the ribbon and eventually found its way up and around Aki’s bound arms and towards his hands. Once there, Aki closed his hands around Asami’s and held him there. He remembered how cold his own hands had been earlier but how now they were warm and holding an equally cozy hand, though an admittingly damp and sticky one because of him.

Just then he thought of something he could “give” Asami for Christmas. He let go of Asami’s hand and then wiggled around so that he was facing him. Golden eyes stared back at him, steely but with a warmth he had learned to see. Aki reached his hands out as much as the binding would allow and brought them to Asami’s chest. He contorted himself to be able to slowly move them further down.

Asami looked at him with growing interest and amusement.

Having reached as far down as he could from his current position, he tried to flip again to his stomach so that he could shimmy further down with is knees. He worked his way further down the bed but just as he thought that he’d finally reached a good point he felt his knee slide down, no longer in contact with the mattress, pulling him down with it.

Instinctively he tried to stop his descent but soon found it futile and resigned himself to sliding onto the floor. Both knees coming to rest there.

“hmph” Asami chuckled “I can’t tell if this was your plan or not” he paused “or are you trying to run away again?” he smirked, propping himself up on his elbow to look at him.

“I’m not running away” Aki replied, rolling his eyes. “and…this wasn’t exactly what I was going for but…” his voice trailed off. “I just thought of something I could give you is all…” his eyes moved from Asami’s eyes to a point much lower. “You know…if you want…” he looked away, a sense of shame returning to his mind, the afterglow continuing to dissipate. 

“Oh, and what is it that you wanted to give me?” Asami asked in mock intrigue, bringing himself to a sitting position.

“I-uh…I want to pleasure you…with my mouth” he bit his lip and looked back up at him a cheeky confidence starting to build “If you’re ready for another go round that is” he licked his lips.

“I’m glad to see you have more stamina this evening” Asami replied, a grin spreading across his face.

“Come closer than so I can give it to you” Aki continued, running his pointer fingers over his lips. “I want some more cream” he licked at his fingers. “And I want to lick your candy cane”

“You certainly are quite the charmer” Asami replied, chuckling lightly. He moved closer to the bed’s edge and let his legs slide down on either side of Aki. He should have fully removed his pants but it was too late to bother now.

Aki tilted his head further to look up at him and cocked a half smile. He then turned his attention to Asami’s thigh. Damn him for still being partially dressed. He planted a kiss on the fabric there and then another and another, slowly moving further up his thigh until he reached his crotch.

He paused, finally reaching exposed skin, and then continued his line of kisses, starting from the base of his shaft. The peppermint residue from before lingered there, making him truly candy cane like, and created a tingling sensation on Aki’s lips. Once Aki reached the tip he looked up at him with lust filled eyes and then took the tip into his mouth, letting it slide over his tongue, wrapping his lips about it.

He then moved his head back so that the tip rested just on his lower lip covered teeth. He flicked his tongue against the frenulum and then took him back into his mouth. Though his hands were bound together and to his torso, he was still close enough to reach with them. He moved his fingers along the underside of his shaft until he came to its base.

He held them there and then continued moving on to lightly grip and “jingle” Asami’s “bells”. Working more of his shaft into his mouth. He looked up at Asami to see his reaction to his gift to him and to shoot another sultry gaze his way.

While his expression had barely changed he could tell the small signs that meant that he was pleased. He felt a brief flick of frustration that he was still far from ever dominating him into submission but quickly overcame it with the sense of pride and a small dose of power, that he could bring Asami to the point he was at now (which he liked to believe that only he could do).

He moved his hands to cover the length of shaft that didn’t fit easily into his mouth and then together moved his mouth and hands up and down it. He tightened as he went faster and further, applying greater pressure and just the slightest touch of teeth.

He was close, Aki could feel it as Asami’s body tensed in preparation for release. He felt a hand run through his hair and then grip near the back of his head. It merely held him though, not pushing or pulling. He sucked in, creating a greater vacuum and brought the roof of his mouth down hard on Asami’s tip. That did it, he felt the warm sticky liquid begin to fill his mouth, bitter but with a hint of mint.

Asami pulled on his hair, forcing him to look up at him. Aki swallowed, opening his eyes that he hadn’t realized he’d closed, and locked onto Asami’s. He slowly pulled his mouth back off of Asami’s cock, leaning back into the hand that was still gripped onto his hair.

He licked his lips again. “Merry Christmas”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending but I wanted to share this piece before the holidays came and went. December’s been crazy busy and hasn’t left much time for writing but I finally knocked out the last chapter of this after I got back from my work’s Bon Enkai and rushed a bit to get it out before I get on a plane back to the States for Christmas (not bringing my laptop with me).
> 
> I spent last Christmas in Japan, which was slightly depressing as Japan treats it as a romantic holiday (like Valentine’s day) and I have no S.O. Additionally, I am used to it being a family holiday but my family is all back in the States. I still made the best of it and ended up trying zenzai for the first time and going to church for the first time in a long time. I wanted to try Christmas Cake (which all my coworkers think is a super American thing and are shocked when I tell them that my family focuses more on cookies and occasionally pie) but didn’t realize that you have to order it in advance, so I didn’t get any. I did get Christmas cake this year though (the standard cream, strawberries, and shortcake) and ate it with friends.
> 
> The Christmas playlist that stores use seems to consist of only “Last Christmas” (Wham!), “All I want for Christmas is you” (Mariah Carey) and “Merry Xmas (War is Over)” (John Lennon). I don’t know why but that’s all I ever hear around here, so they’ve been kind of stuck in my head.
> 
> My original concept was “The 12 days of Christmas” but I ended up shortening it because I felt the Aki going to work parts were dragging on too much. The plan was; Date, time, place, stockings, shorts, bell necklace, candy cane, Santa hat, whip cream, something shiny, ribbon, and strawberries. I might incorporate some of what I didn’t use into a New Year’s piece but I won’t be able to work on it until I get back sometime in January.
> 
> I’ve never been to Roppongi but I saw it on TV and it seemed cool. I’ll be passing through Tokyo on my way back but they’ll have taken all the lights down by then. I will however get to go be a geek in Akihabara and Otome road for 24 hrs though, so I’m psyched for that.


	4. Chapter 4

Merry Christmas from Aki & Asami.  
May you Find joy and love in the coming year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually drew this early on in December and didn’t write the story until later. I learned some more about coloring and shading but I still have so much more to learn. For whatever reason Bruno Mars’ “Strawberry champagne all night, that’s what I like” was stuck on repeat in my head but when I looked it up “wine experts” said it wasn’t a thing so that’s why I ended up using Rose Champagne in the story. I wanted Aki’s eye to be open and looking up but I didn’t like any of my attempts, so I just gave up for the time being. It’s a Christmas Card of sorts but one I could never bring myself to actually send to anyone so I guess it’s my Christmas greeting to all of you; wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


End file.
